Several shops and warehouses were destroyed in a fire at a market in Sreepur, Gazipur, in the early hours of Thursday. The affected premises included warehouses storing garment waste and cotton, a sanitaryware shop, several poultry shops and a scrap business. Four fire service units worked for nearly two hours to bring the blaze under control. No casualties were reported initially.
The fire broke out at No. 2 C&B Market in Channapara village, within Sreepur Municipality, at around 3.55am on Thursday, 22 October, according to the local fire service. The incident caused damage to several commercial establishments, although the total financial loss has not yet been determined.
Nurul Karim, station officer at Sreepur Fire Service, said two units from the local station were dispatched after receiving the report and immediately began efforts to extinguish the flames.
As the fire intensified, additional support was called in. Another unit from Sreepur Fire Station and a unit from Rajendrapur Modern Fire Station joined the operation, bringing the total number of responding units to four.
Firefighters continued working at the scene until 5.48am, when the blaze was brought under control. The operation lasted nearly two hours, with crews working to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other businesses in the market.
The fire damaged warehouses containing garment waste and cotton, along with a sanitaryware outlet, several poultry shops and a scrap shop. The extent of the destruction at each establishment remains unclear, and officials have yet to provide an estimate of the losses suffered by the traders.
The presence of cotton and garment waste in the affected warehouses may have increased the risk of the flames spreading quickly. Such materials can be highly combustible, particularly when stored in large quantities. However, authorities have not confirmed whether these materials contributed to the spread or intensity of the fire in this incident.
Markets containing closely situated shops and storage facilities can be particularly vulnerable to fires, as flames may spread from one premises to another before emergency crews can establish control. The storage of combustible materials can also complicate firefighting operations. The circumstances surrounding the Sreepur incident, however, will need to be established through an investigation.
No immediate reports of injuries or deaths were received, Nurul Karim said. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was inside the affected premises when the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The fire service said an investigation would be needed to determine how the blaze started and assess the extent of the damage.
For the affected traders, the destruction of stock, equipment and storage facilities could disrupt business operations and lead to financial losses. However, the scale of the impact cannot yet be assessed because the authorities have not released a detailed damage estimate.
Officials are expected to establish the cause of the fire and the extent of the losses through further assessment. Until that process is completed, the circumstances of the incident and the full scale of the damage will remain uncertain.
